Punchestown Goffs Bumper Tips & Betting Preview

There isn’t much form to go by in this bumper, so pedigrees and point-to-point performance will be paramount to finding the winner of the 2017 Goffs Bumper as the Punchestown Festival continues.

Noel Meade is currently in good form and CASK MATE should be able to give a much better performance on this outing after a perhaps  debut over C&D in February. With a pedigree that has a good mix of both speed and stamina, more was possibly expected of the four-year-old by Kalanisi on bumper debut when he could only manage eight. He was running well to a point, but he ultimately weakened out of things. However, he should have gained a lot from the experience and the better ground should see him in a better light this time around. He has the potential to make a useful prospect so can improve sufficiently from that first run to take victory.

Winning a point-to-point at Tinahely by a very comfortable ten lengths, Rapid Escape was subsequently snapped up by Gigginstown House and transferred to Gordon Elliott for £240,000. That is certainly not a small price for a horse bought out of the pointing scene and, judging by his pedigree, it’s not difficult to see why the four-year-old was so quickly purchased by powerful connections. He is closely related to Nicolas Chauvin and the dam is an unraced half-sister to the very useful Chauvinist. He is very appealing on paper and is likely to be popular in the market.

Considering how well the Harrington yard are performing at present, it is impossible to ignore Boot Camp who looks to have a brilliant chance on paper. Bought for €44,000 as a three-year-old, he’s brother to the useful Duke Of Lucca, with the dam also related to a multitude of useful horses, including White Star Line who was a multiple winner. He is also related to a bumper winner so he certainly has a good chance under 3lb claimer Katie Harrington and needs a check in the market.

Joseph O’Brien’s yard is also in great form and, after an exciting bumper debut here back in February, Early Doors could well be the one to beat in this under Patrick Mullins. He travelled brilliantly throughout the contest and took the lead, going well a furlong and a half from home, easily winning by nine lengths in the end. He should be capable of better with that experience behind him and we may well see improvement from him now that he is on better ground. He looks likely to go close and has to be respected.

Although perhaps his bumper debut wasn’t as expected, Its Only A Dream should improve for the run and could not be discounted at a big price for Charles O’Brien. He was running well on that debut at Leopardstown in January before showing his inexperience when dropping out of contention when ridden by Jamie Codd. It transpired that the race was quite a useful one, with Debutchet and Le Richebourg both filling out the top two positions and he should have learned a lot from the experience. His pedigree is all about speed, so if this turns tactical and they sprint at the end, he may well have a say.